A boatman crossing the Niger river in Timbuktu region, Mali.
An upsurge in armed conflict and intercommunal violence in the first half of 2020 in central Mali, resulted in more than 2,840 deaths, and forced thousands of people to flee their homes.

Despite widespread insecurity, due to violent clashes between armed groups, rising levels of criminality, and the proliferation of landmines, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) continued to provide medical care and relief to people trapped in remote areas of Mopti and Ségou regions, in Bandiagara, Mondoro, Koro, Douentza, Ténenkou and Niono districts. We scaled up our mobile clinics to assist both displaced people and host communities in these areas, where the availability of basic services is extremely limited.

We also worked with the Ministry of Health to treat severe COVID-19 patients in Bamako and supported the response to the pandemic across the country, while maintaining our focus on cancer care and paediatric services. In 2020, we expanded our work in oncology by facilitating early screening and diagnosis of cervical and breast cancer in the capital and providing treatment, including surgery and chemotherapy.

MSF continued to respond to epidemics in the country, such as outbreaks of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Douentza, and measles in Timbuktu, Ansongo and Douentza. In Timbuktu, we launched a large-scale measles vaccination campaign. The seasonal peak of malaria was particularly virulent in 2020, especially in northern Mali, due to heavy rains and delays in the implementation of prevention campaigns. We maintained our support for nutrition and paediatric services in Koutiala district and launched an emergency project in Timbuktu to assist with testing and treating people for malaria.

No. staff in 2020: 1,243 (FTE) » Expenditure in 2020: €26.9 million MSF first worked in the country: 1992

 
Increased insecurity  in Mali has created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis © Lamine Keita/MSF
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Mali: Unprecedented levels of violence affecting populations in the central region

Article 24 Jun 2019